Is NordVPN Safe to Use

NordVPN needs no introduction. This provider is familiar to anyone who has ever used a virtual private network. The service made a name for itself as a trustworthy VPN with a bunch of security-oriented features. So, when we talk about it, the question is not if NordVPN is safe; it’s rather what makes it different and better from other VPN providers. This post explains why it is a good idea to entrust your safety to this service.

Before I start going into detail, here are the most prominent security features of NordVPN.

Registered in Panama

Strict zero-logging policy

A wide variety of security protocols including OpenVPN

Kill Switch

Advanced IP & DNS Leak protection

DoubleVPN

Supports Tor over VPN

NordVPN Jurisdiction and Logging Policy

One of the best security features of NordVPN is that it carries out a brilliant log-less policy. It means that whenever you connect to this service, it doesn’t record what you do or what sites you visit. Moreover, any connection details stay visible for NordVPN. It doesn’t monitor when you register, what servers you hook up to or how much bandwidth you consume. Needless to say, it has no records about your real IP address or websites you visit. The provider uses some minor tracking to detect how many devices you connect (it allows 6 simultaneous connections) but this information discards as soon as you terminate your VPN session.

With such a thoughtful privacy policy the service could be registered anywhere in the world but it consciously picked Panama as a homeland. Why? Simply because this offshore country has a lenient legislation. Panama doesn’t require VPN services to collect or turn over data about their users. If foreign law enforcement agencies such as FBI have questions to this VPN, they will be powerless because Panama is beyond their jurisdiction.

NordVPN Security Features

NordVPN is bristling with security features. For starters, it has the most reliable OpenVPN protocol in place with a 256-AES-CBC cipher and 2048-bit key. It is actually better than anything you will find in the industry. iOS and Mac devices are protected with IKEv2/IPsec protocol enhanced with AES-256-GCM cipher and a 3072-bit key. If you want to change a default protocol, there are also PPTP and L2TP options.

Users who are paranoid about their safety will be happy with unique security features such as DoubleVPN and Onion over VPN. The former function will add an extra layer of encryption to a basic protection and the latter allows simultaneous use of Tor and VPN to change your IP address twice.

Both methods are able to protect your identity if a VPN connection fails. However, there is a dedicated traffic protection feature, Kill Switch. NordVPN is the only service that offers two different types of this emergency disconnection tool. Internet Kill Switch will stop all the traffic if a VPN connection interrupts and an App Kill Switch automatically closes your applications.

The service has a cutting-edge leak protection that blocks any IP, DNS, and WebRTC leaks.

If you don’t want to expose your identity when purchasing a subscription with NordVPN, you can use anonymous payments with Bitcoin and some other popular cryptocurrencies.

All in all, NordVPN is a security-focused service with a ton of useful features. You can read more about them in my detailed NordVPN review.

Conclusion

The user safety is the service’s cornerstone. NordVPN takes pride in its security facilities, some of which don’t even have analogs among competitors. Industry standard encryption protocols are modified with unpatrolled cipher keys and handshake to ensure the best protection possible. The provider is one of a few services that have a genuine log-free policy without exceptions. It is located in a security-friendly country that won’t spy on NordVPN’s clients. The bottom line is that NordVPN is a safe, reliable, and trustworthy service.